The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Summary

• Personality Ethics: This is the appearance to others. It will be seen as fake if it isn't rooted in the character. Like - public image, attitude, personality.
• Character Ethics: This is the foundation of your character. It cannot be faked. This the place where you sow your seeds of greatness. Like - Integrity, Humility, Courage.

Focus your efforts on the character ethics and the personal ethics will be set automatically. And remember

There are no Shortcuts.

• Circle of Influence: The things you can control - Attitude, education, skills you learn, enthusiasm, habits, hobbies, etc.
• Circle of Concern: The things you don't have control over - other's opinions, other's mistakes, the economy, what people think of you, politics, weather.

Reactive people more focus on the circle of Concern and they blame others for their situation.

But Proactive people only focus on the circle of influence and take responsibility for themselves.

"You either act or you're acted upon."

The famous book argues that we are all responsible for our own happiness and success, and that we can achieve our goals by developing certain habits and attitudes:

The 7 habits are:

1. Be proactive
2. Begin with the end in mind
3. Put first things first.
4. Think win-win.
5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood
6. Synergize to create something that is greater than the sum of its parts.
7. Sharpen the saw by taking care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally

Proactive people take responsibility for their own lives and don't blame others for their circumstances. They see problems as opportunities for growth and learning. Proactive people are also more likely to take action and achieve their goals.

1. Be proactive

2. Begin with the end in mind

3. Put first things first

4. Think “win-win”

5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood

6. Synergise

7. Sharpen the saw

• Be Proactive is about taking responsibility for your life. Proactive people recognize that they are “response-able”.

• They don’t blame circumstances, conditions, or conditioning for their behavior.
• Reactive people, on the other hand, are often affected by their Environment . If the weather is good, they feel good. If it isn’t, it affects their attitude and performance, and they blame the weather.

Reactive People are affected by the physical environment whereas proactive people are driven by values, not with social weather.

Proactive people focus their efforts in the Circle of Influence, divorce on the things which can't do something about. The circle attracts the aura of discipline and inertness wherever you move.

Reactive people on the other hand focus their efforts in the Circle of Concern the focus on the weakness of other people the problems in environment and the circumstances over which they have no control.

We're in charge. We choose the scripts by which to live our lives. Use this self-awareness to be proactive and take responsibility for your choices. Reactive people take a passive stance -- they believe the world is happening to them. They say things like:

"There's nothing I can do."

"That's just the way I am."

Proactive people, however, recognize they have responsibility or "response-ability," which Covey defines as the ability to choose how you will respond to a given stimulus or situation.

Beginning with the end in mind is also extremely important for businesses. 

Being a manager is about optimizing for efficiency. But being a leader is about setting the right strategic vision for your organization in the first place, and asking, "What are we trying to accomplish?"

Before we as individuals or organizations can start setting and achieving goals, we must be able to identify our values. This process may involve some rescripting to be able to assert our own personal values.

In order to manage ourselves effectively, we must put first things first. We must have the discipline to prioritize our day-to-day actions based on what is most important, not what is most urgent.

In order to maintain the discipline and the focus to stay on track toward our goals, we need to have the willpower to do something when we don't want to do it. We need to act according to our values rather than our desires or impulses at any given moment.

You are what you habitually do, so adopt productive habits. You have the ability to improve your habits and your life.

Focus on developing character, not personality. 

Choose sound principles – integrity, dignity, quality, service, patience, perseverance, caring, courage – and endeavor to live by them by adopting seven habits.

Habit 1: “Be Proactive.” You are free because you can determine how you respond to circumstances

Habit 2: “Begin with the End in Mind.” Write a personal mission statement to clarify your principles and  goals

Habit 3: “Put First Things First.” Balance the attention you give

Habit 4: “Think Win/Win.”

Habit 5: “Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood.”

Habit 6: “Synergize.” The cooperative whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts

Habit 7: “Sharpen the Saw.” Take the time to sharpen your tools: your body, soul, mind and heart

The seven habits of highly effective people are:

1. They take initiative. “Be proactive.”
2. They focus on goals. “Begin with the end in mind.”
3. They set priorities. “Put first things first.”
4. They only win when others win. “Think win/win.”
5. They communicate. “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”
6. They cooperate. “Synergize.”
7. They reflect on and repair their deficiencies. “Sharpen the saw.”

Challenge yourself to test the principle of proactivity by doing the following:

1. Start replacing reactive language with proactive language.

Reactive = "He makes me so mad."

Proactive = "I control my own feelings."

2. Convert reactive tasks into proactive ones.

Challenge yourself to test the principle of beginning with the end in mind by doing the following:

1. Visualize in rich detail your own funeral. Who is there? What are they saying about you? About how you lived your life? About the relationships you had? What do you want them to say? Think about how your priorities would change if you only had 30 more days to live. Start living by these priorities.

2. Break down different roles in your life -- whether professional, personal, or community -- and list three to five goals you want to achieve for each.

3. Define what scares you. Public speaking? Critical feedback after writing a book? Write down the worst-case scenario for your biggest fear, then visualize how you'll handle this situation. Write down exactly how you'll handle it.

Take control of your actions and decisions. Focus on what you can change instead of what you can't.

Taking responsibility for one's life and actions. Focus on what can be controlled instead of reacting to external factors. The idea of proactive behavior involves actively seeking out opportunities and taking action to shape one's life and environment, rather than being passive or active. 

Effective individuals have a clear vision of what they want to achieve and use it to guide their decisions and actions. This habit encourages individuals to think of their long-term goals and values, and to use these as a basis for setting priorities and making choices in their daily lives. By beginning with the end in mind, individuals can align their actions with their lives and work towards achieving their desired outcomes. 

Efficiently manage time and energy towards the most significant tasks. This practice emphasizes identifying priorities, setting goals, and devising a plan of action to accomplish goals. By placing important tasks first, individuals can steer clear of distractions and non-productive activities, and dedicate their efforts towards their top priorities. This habit is crucial in helping individuals achieve their objectives and cultivate a sense of equilibrium and meaning in their lives. 

Today, I am going to guide you about "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey. This book, to me, is about building habits that can help us be more successful and happy in our daily lives in a much more advanced level. Think of yourself as someone having a set of powerful habits that guide you through challenges, help you reach your goals, and improve your relationships. This intro should be enough, so let's dive in!

Key Idea: Take responsibility for your actions and attitudes.

Example:

• If I have a homework assignment, I start working on it right away instead of waiting until the last minute.
• When something goes wrong, I focus on finding a solution rather than blaming others.